Improvement in steam-engines



sind gime I@ stent @titille Laim Patent No. 95,653, zaad comb-a 12, 1869.

Mgr-

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-ENGINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same,

To all lwhoaimt may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. T. CLARK, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improved Steam-Engine; and I do hereby declare the followingdes'cription and accompanying drawings are suicient to enable'any person skilled in the art or science to which it most nearly appertains, to make and use my said invention or improvements without further invention or experiment.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved steam-engine, the novelty of which consists, iirst, in employing an elongated cylindrical piston, and placing the packing-rings along the inside of the cylinder, near its centre, where they remain stationary while the piston moves through them; and it further consists in so constructing the interior of the cylinder, that there will be a small space left around the piston, between the induction-port and the packingrings, so that the steam, when it rst enters, will heat the interior of the' cylinder. This `vill give the full effect of expansion after cutting ofi' the steam, by not abstracting the heat of the expanding steam to warm the cylinder as the piston uncovers' it in completing the stroke. Y

The cylinder and valves are constructed with double walls, or with spaces around them, so that, as the 'exhaust steam ,passes out, it will not take heat from the live steam in the chest, and thus raise its own temperature at a time when it is useless.

To more fully explain my invention, reference is madeto the accompanying drawings, `forming a part of this specification.

Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of my enme. g Figure 2 shows one of the false heads.

Figure 3 is the interior jacket or lining.

Figure. 4 shows one of the packing-rings.v

A is the outer or main cylinder, and B the steamchest of my engine.

Any of thei known arrangements may be used for vadmitting steam to the cylinder, but for the purpose oi' illustration I have adopted the slide-valve G.

Within veach of the main cylinder-heads D E arev the false heads F F, which are short frusta of cones,

and are each iitted to a tapering seat, c, formed in the end of the cylinder, as shown.

An opening, G, is made through theside of the r head F, which corresponds with the port a, and communicates directly with the interior of the lining or jacket H. v

The passage Gr may be lined with lead, and the seats c c may be formed of-lead or other non-conductor if desired, in order to reduce their conducting power. This lining fits into the head F at one end, and to the packing-rings or their case at the other end, and may be surrounded by any non-conductor, either air or a solid.

Packing-rings e e .are placed so that the flanges d d, at the ends of this lining, fit against them, and prevent any leakage of steam.

In order to-keep the heads F closely yin their seats c, adjusting-screws, b, pass through 'the main heads, as at E, and press against the backs of the heads F.

The piston I is a cylinder of such a length that it never leaves the packing in making the stroke.

The piston-rod J is fastened to it, and passes out through the false'and main heads at onerend of the cylinder, and is provided with a suitable stuffing-box at K.

The packing consists of a number of rings, L, which are placed loosely within a case, M.

The inner rings are made in sections, g y, so that any one can be removed without disturbing the others.

These sections are held together by an elastic band,y

z', and the whole of each ring has a slight motion in thecase, so as to accommodate it to any irregularities of motion in the piston.

The two outer rings in each set are made solid, and

serve to hold the others together and prevent any side motion from opening them.

-The case M is made in two parts, which are fastened together by screw-bolts, m, and a fixed diaphragm, n, in the middle, separates the rings L into'two sets.

The case is bolted to a flange, N, on the inside of the cylinder, and can be .removed with all the rings at f any time, if necessary.

The slide-valver C is made with double walls,"0 O, which leave a space to be filled with any non-conductor, either a solid or simply air. This' prevents the heat of the live steam in the chest from being taken up by the colder exhaust steam as it passes out under the A valve after its work is completed.

In the arrangement here shown, a valve would be used at each end, but if only a single valve were used in the centre, the ports mightbe made to open directly into the cylinder at the ends of the case M, for, as the piston does not fill the linings H, the steam would find free passage to the end of the piston, upon which it would act.

Steam being admitted to the cylinder, it will instantly fill the space around the piston as far as the packing-rings L in the oase M, and heat the lining H at that end of the cylinder.

The piston commences its motion, and steam is cut o' at any point desired, after which the expansion of' theremaining steam completes the stroke.

As the cylinder is fully heated to the extent of the travel of the piston, no caloric is abstracted from the expanding steam to raise thetemperature of the sides of the cylinder, as they are gradually exposed by the ticity of the steam is thus realized.

In engines in which the packing-rings are upou the piston, the pressure of the steam behind tends to force them together, and prevent leakage, but the friction of the rings against the sides of the cylinder creates an equal or superior pressure in an opposite direction, and often causes a. defective packing.

In my engine, the pressure of the steam and that caused hy friction are in thc direction of the motion, which insures a tight packing, and the wear will tend to make it more effective by use. v

The rings L are cut so that the ends of the sections will just meet around the smallest part of the piston, it' there should be any irregularities in its size, and thus the Wear will always come on the higher parts,

'so that the piston becomes more and more perfect by y use.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The elongated piston I, and the stationary packing-rings L, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The interior linings orcylinders H, made larger than the piston, and the false heads F F, substantially as herein described.

3. Forming the packing of one or more series of and seal.

4 WM. H. T. CLARK. [1..l s.] Witnesses:

J. L. BOONE,

EUGENE FoLGER. 

